The island of Dia and the ‘Kri Kri goat’ or Agrimi

The island of Dia is 12 km2, you will find hardly any cultivation there. On the island are some sheep and goat shepherds looking after their livestock.
Every day fun boat trips are leaving for the island, where you can find interesting spots to go snorkelling.

On the island you can find the ‘Kri Kri’. This goat, with its beige/brown colour and grey stripe on its back, is a protected animal species. The goat has long curved horns that reach and bend over the back and can get up to 70 cm long.
The actual name of the goat is Agrimi, but they owe the name ‘Kri Kri’ to the old American president Truman. Truman was given the mountain goat as a present, but he was unable to prounounce the name Agrimi, so it became ‘Kri Kri’. This goat unfortunately died after one day because it was taken away from its natural habitat.

In the wild these goats have become very rare. They can still be found at the 18 kilometres long Samaria Gorge and on an island off the coast of Agios Nicolaos.

The small island on the right of Dia is called Paximadi. There is a myth that Dia is a dragon that eats bread. Paximadi is the name for the dried bread that is available in supermarkets and bakeries. Paximadi is usually made of brown bread and has a very long life span. You can compare it to rusks. On the menus it’s usually named ‘Dakos’, which is the hard bread covered with chopped tomatoes and feta cheese.
The island being so small and dry, like the bread, is another reason for the name ‘Paximadi’.